


Ten asks Eleven about River

by TardisTexan



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 22:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1062147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisTexan/pseuds/TardisTexan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the Day of the Doctor, Ten takes a little moment to ask Eleven about River Song.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten asks Eleven about River

While the humans and the Zygons were talking, working out their treaty, the Tenth and Eleventh faces of the Doctor wandered around the Black Archive, looking at the things UNIT had collected. They shared many "Oh remember when.." and "Oh, this is cool" back and forth between them over the artifacts. 

At one point, they came upon a pair of red high heeled women's shoes. The Younger Doctor looked puzzled. "Women's shoes? Why are these in here?" 

The Older Doctor looked at them and smiled. Younger Doctor saw a look of pride, then a look of sadness, on his counterpart's face as he said "They're River's". He reached out a finger and gently ran his hand down the heel. 

The Younger Doctor said "Ooooohhh, Professor River Song. I wanted to ask you about her. Are you the one of us who told her our name?"   
The Doctor quickly withdrew his hand, put on a stern face, and said, "Spoilers" and turned his back on his younger self. 

The Younger Doctor laughed and clapped his hand on the older one's back, "You don't have to tell me, I can see it all over your face. So now that I know, you might as well tell me. You married her." he said, not asking it as a question. 

The Older Doctor looked indignant, "You just married Elizabeth the First! You just married a woman who history knows never married!" 

The Doctor looked at his older self and smiled, "Yeah, but you told River our name. That means something. For us, that means something entirely different and you know it. She must be....." he didn't really know the right word. "So, is she still with you? She's not here?"

"No, she's been gone a long time. And yes, she was something different entirely." The man known as the Eleventh said sadly as they sat down. "You met her, you saw her, tell me you didn't feel it. Bah, I know you felt it." He looked down at his hands. 

His younger self said quietly, "You married her, knowing how and when her life ends." Then a look that might have been a bit of fear swept across his face. "You took her to the Singing Towers... knowing that..." 

The man in the bowtie looked up angrily, "Yes, you... you idiot! You let her die in that damn library. You let her die! And then you saved her to the database, so I had to say goodbye again and go through it all over again.. over and over having to saying goodbye to her." He trailed off and looked down at his hands again. 

The Doctor knew that his older self didn't need an answer. He had lived it. He knew there was no choice at the time, but that didn't mean he didn't blame himself. The Doctor had many reasons to hate himself. This was just another one.

The Doctor saw the pain his older self was feeling. "We know the whole time" he said sadly. He could see that he would love River Song, and love her deeply. He couldn't quite imagine that now, loving someone that much after Rose. How could I love her enough to marry her, share everything with her, and know the whole time that I was the reason she died? He looked at his older self in wonder, but he knew. That was the heart of the Doctor. Full of the pain of past mistakes, but you keep running. You just keep running. 

Just then, the man in the bowtie straightened and clapped his hand on the spikey haired Doctor's knee. With a small knowing smile he said, "But there are times. Times when you are with her and you forget about it. Moments when time just stops. And those times.. let me tell you..." 

The Doctor's eyebrow raised, "Really?" 

The Doctor nodded and his face widened with a wicked smile. "Just you wait. River will knock your socks off, and you will love every minute of it."

Clara walked up just then and saw the boys smiling at each other. Her clever boys. She wondered what they were grinning at, some Doctor secret perhaps? But it didn't matter right now, she had something very serious to discuss with them. She had faith in them, faith that they would know what to do.


End file.
